So, I've already been over the (admittedly loose) mechanics and character building used in my Overpower game. And I said I'd talk a little about setting in this instalment. So let me see if I can remember enough about how the worlds worked to actually describe them.
The first iteration of the game used a post apocalyptic setting. This was largely because I wanted to have a setting where both Heroes and Villains could be working together. I'm not really sure why I was so hung up on those labels to be honest. Yes, it helped to set the tone by encouraging the players to think in those terms. These days I'm more inclined to think simply in terms of characters and actions rather than strictly delineated roles like that, but I digress.
Anyway, point is that the world was basically fucked. The surface of the planet was being consumed / destroyed / invaded by a hideous extra-dimensional SOMETHING known only as The Them. The idea behind the The Them was that they were so alien they could barely be described using this universes physical laws. Indeed, much of the devastation they wrought was simply through trying to translate themselves into out reality. They're practically impossible to kill because, on many levels they don't even exist yet. They manifest seemingly at random, usually as a dull grey sphere or irregular polyhedron. Sometimes they might be floating in the air, sometimes buried in the ground or stuck halfway through a building. Sometimes huge, sometimes tiny. There is little consistency in the manner of the manifestations, save for the eventual result. They expand outwards, merging with the environment and eradicating all life, until all that is left is a lifeless, flat, grey, twisted and angular version of the area which they are transposing themselves onto. And bits of this bizarre dark world version might pull themselves out and start crawling around. Exactly what they were, what they wanted and how you'd even fight them was not something we ever got to. But as a concept, the idea of a foe so utterly alien you can barely define it let alone fight it is one I rather liked.
But whilst that was the overarching threat, what of the rest of the world? Well, obviously being a super heroes game there were a lot of super powered individuals who you'd think would be up there leading the fight for humanities survival. And you'd be right. At least if not for the fact that most of them are dead.
You see, a few years before the first incursions of The Them began, something else happened. The Atlas Halo, a super massive ring shaped construct appeared around the earth. One morning everyone woke up, and there it was, stretching clear across the horizon and bristling with uncountable weapons of inconceivable power. Earths mightiest heroes spearheaded an assault on the Atlas Halo. Few made it back, fewer still in one piece. But the Atlas Halo was rendered inoperable, the world safe from the threat it presented. Many believe that it was the work of demented genius Dr Apocalypse, though nothing has been proven. He disappeared before the ring materialised and hasn't been seen since.
With the lack of experienced heroes to fight the threat, civilisation in many areas began to collapse as the The Them occupied greater percentages of the earths surface. Eventually the Super Society hit upon the idea of utilising the skills of the many villains held in their high tech containment units. Equipped with explosive implants and collars to ensure cooperation they are put to work alongside the remaining heroes in order to combat the various threats that face humanity. Bands of rogues and villains stalk the desperate populace, dark forces are on the move and the rule of law is breaking down across the world, and someone must stand against them, rally the survivors and find a way to combat the alien menace.
And whilst I admit that some of that setting does sound rather grim and serious, there was an awful lot of schlocky fun going on. Looking at my notes from the time I find this gem of an entry under the heading of organisations:
Krazi Klown Korps - Organization of super powered criminal clowns. Not to be confused with the Kriminal Klown Klan or the Katastophic Klown Kollective.
If that's not possibly the greatest thing I've ever written then I don't know what is. Sadly I don't think they were ever encountered, although we DID have an evil clown as a PC. A pyromantic clown in fact. He was partnered up with a young occultist hero and sent of to destroy The Slaytanic Snow Demon. Who was basically a cross between Diablo and Violator, but made of ice. As I recall he was hiding out in the middle of Arizona. Because when you're a demonic force of winter you really don't care about deserts. The heroes were teleported in and made it to the seemingly abandoned town after a small skirmish with Il Banditos Zombos (Think zombie hells angels wearing sombreros. According to my notes they turned into zombies by smoking to much Zobbacco. Which is a form of radioactive dope grown on Indian burial grounds).
Anyway, eventually they discovered that the population of the town had been turned into Blockheads by the Slaytanic Snow Demon. This involves cutting the head off and replacing it with a large block of solid ice. Once the ritual is complete the Blockhead is a nigh indestructible source of demonic cold. So yeah, that all went as well as could be expected. As I recall in the end the Slaytanic Snow demon WAS defeated, but only after the heroes opened a portal to hell and the clown got possessed by the devil.
Ahh, fun times.
The second iteration took place long before all that, in a world in which super powers were a fact of life. The world was improved by super science, but still there were those who would use their powers for evil. The police had power armour and small level mechs for dealing with super powered trouble makers, but many organisations had difficulty integrating those with powers effectively, and it simply wasn't practical for would be heroes to fight crime in their spare time and still maintain their lives and jobs. Luckily there was the Petey Foundation, a charitable group set up to help support super powered individuals trying to do the right thing. The foundation was set up by the family of a young hero who's work all day and fight crime all night lifestyle eventually led to his death. Whilst the legal situation was excruciatingly complicated, the foundation existed to provide support for those who needed it, helping them to help others.
In the opening Issue of this game a young man with involuntary telekinetic powers and another who, whilst lacking any powers of his own could mimic the uncanny abilities of those close by, were attacked seemingly at random by the hulking monstrosity known only as SMURSH, and his partner the deadly metallic being known as Silver. SMURSH was a huge creature possessed of fantastic strength, who's purple gel like flesh could form a variety of weapons and even regenerate. Silver was a seemingly solid block of unknown metal formed in the vague shape of a woman, equipped with a deadly freeze ray. Whilst our heroes eventually overcame this deadly duo, it was only the start of and an adventure that would lead them into conflict with alien parasites, pocket dimensions containing purgatorial hell like versions of reality, and the mysterious criminal sect known as Arsenal.
I really wish I could remember more of this version of the setting, but I don't seem to have made as many notes. Which is a shame, because there was a lot that I liked in there. For example there was Steve. He didn't have a super hero name, that wasn't his thing. He was indestructible. Firstly this meant that he looked a bit crazy as nothing existed that could actually cut his hair properly. Secondly it made him far stronger than he should be. His bones didn't break, his muscles didn't rupture. Back in the day he was an average American student that played sports. Until his powers manifested and he accidentally killed a guy. Now he's ultra serious and committed, heading up the loose team which is operating out of the Petey Foundation. There was Zeus, the large and unaccountably cheery alligator man, perpetually decked out in the loudest and most tasteless shirts charity shops can provide. There was the shy, quiet girl who's slightest whisper hit with the force of a sledge hammer. She had this whole unspoken tragic romance thing going with Steve. The there was the black guy who's body created this weird organic putty that he could shape and control at will. They were all fun characters, even if I can't remember all their names right now.
So yeah, fun settings that I really enjoyed playing around in. Hopefully I'll get to have another go someday, once we've got some other games dealt with.
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